Pennsylvania Family Law Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Pennsylvania family law attorneys who can navigate Pennsylvania’s no-fault divorce framework.

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30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Pennsylvania family law case review

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How we match your Pennsylvania family law case

When you submit a Pennsylvania family law matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A family law matter needs someone who handles family law work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Pennsylvania law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Pennsylvania who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with a family law claim in Pennsylvania

Day 0
You decide to act.
Separation, custody, support or a modification. Gather financials, the children’s schedules and any agreements or orders that already exist.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Pennsylvania family law attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Filing and disclosures.
The petition is filed and both sides exchange financial disclosures. Temporary orders for custody or support can be requested early in Pennsylvania.
Months 1–6
Negotiation or mediation.
Most cases settle here — parenting plans, division of property, support. Your attorney negotiates from the disclosures, not from guesses.
If it doesn’t settle
Hearing or trial.
Contested issues go before a judge. Preparation matters more than argument; your attorney builds the file for it from day one.
Resolution
Final order.
Fees are quoted before you commit — hourly or a retainer, spelled out in writing at the free consultation.

Residency Requirement: 6 months
6 months in Pennsylvania (23 Pa. C.S. § 3104)
Property Division System: Equitable distribution
Equitable distribution across 11 factors (23 Pa. C.S. § 3502)
Custody Standard: Best interests
Best interests with 17 factors (23 Pa. C.S. § 5328)
Child Support Guidelines: Income Shares
Income Shares model — Pa. R.C.P. 1910.16-1 et seq.
Spousal Support Framework: Alimony pendente
Alimony pendente lite, spousal support, and post-divorce alimony under 23 Pa. C.S. §§ 3701-3707 — formula-based for APL/spousal support, factor-based for alimony
Typical attorney fee: Hourly
Hourly / Flat Fee

Pennsylvania allows two no-fault divorce paths: mutual consent under 23 Pa. C.S. § 3301(c) (after 90 days from service if both spouses consent), and unilateral no-fault under § 3301(d) (after 1 year of separation if one spouse contests). Pennsylvania also retains 6 fault grounds. Residency is 6 months in Pennsylvania before filing (23 Pa. C.S. § 3104). Pennsylvania is an equitable distribution state under 23 Pa. C.S. § 3502 — marital property is divided equitably based on 11 statutory factors. Custody is decided under 23 Pa. C.S. § 5328 with 17 best-interests factors. Pennsylvania uses Income Shares under Pa. R.C.P. 1910.16-1 et seq.

Exhibit B

When to call a family law attorney in Pennsylvania

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Family Law cases we take in Pennsylvania

Which one is closest to yours?

Mutual consent no-fault divorce

Under 23 Pa. C.S. § 3301(c), both spouses sign affidavits of consent after 90 days from service. Fastest no-fault path.

Sound like yours? A Pennsylvania attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Pennsylvania family law attorneys cost?

Typical fee schedule

Pennsylvania · Family Law

Fee modelHourly / Flat Fee

Feequoted per petition or matter

Filing costsitemized upfront

Case reviewFree

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Family Law matters in Pennsylvania are usually a flat fee per filing — quoted before you commit, not billed by the hour.

Family law cases in Pennsylvania are not handled on contingency. Pennsylvania Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(d)(1) — patterned on ABA Model Rule 1.5(d) — prohibits contingent fees in domestic relations matters where the fee is contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support, or property settlement. Pennsylvania family law attorneys charge hourly (billed against a retainer) or a flat fee for uncontested matters. Courts may award fees under 23 Pa. C.S. § 3702.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Pennsylvania family law compensation can include

A Pennsylvania family law recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Property Division

Equitable distribution under 23 Pa. C.S. § 3502 — 11-factor analysis. Separate property exempt but increase in value during marriage is marital.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Pennsylvania family law questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Pennsylvania attorney will review it for free.

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Mutual consent (§ 3301(c)) divorces require at least 90 days from service before the affidavits of consent can be filed and decree entered — typically 4–6 months total. Unilateral no-fault (§ 3301(d)) requires 1 year of separation — typically 12–18 months. Contested cases extend further.

Yes, through two paths: § 3301(c) mutual consent (after 90 days from service when both spouses agree) and § 3301(d) unilateral after 1 year of separation. Pennsylvania also retains 6 fault grounds: willful and malicious desertion for 1+ years, adultery, cruel and barbarous treatment, bigamy, conviction of a crime imprisoning for 2+ years, and indignities.

For mutual consent, no separation period — just 90 days from service. For unilateral no-fault, 1 year of separation is required (reduced from 2 years in 2016).

Pennsylvania is an equitable distribution state. Under 23 Pa. C.S. § 3502, the court divides marital property equitably (not necessarily equally) across 11 factors including length of marriage, prior marriages, age and health, sources of income, vocational skills, employability, estate, liabilities, contributions, standard of living, tax consequences, and economic circumstances. Separate property (premarital, gifts, inheritance) is exempt, but increase in value during marriage is marital.

Pennsylvania applies a best-interests standard under 23 Pa. C.S. § 5328 with 17 factors including which party is more likely to encourage continuing contact, present and past abuse, parental duties, child’s well-reasoned preference, attempts to turn the child against the other parent, and others. PA has no preference for joint custody — courts decide based on the factors.

Pennsylvania uses Income Shares under Pa. R.C.P. 1910.16-1 et seq. Both parents’ monthly net incomes are applied to the basic child support schedule with adjustments for shared physical custody (40%+ overnights triggers an adjustment), healthcare, childcare, and other expenses.

Yes. Custody can be modified on a change of circumstances. Child support requires substantial change (often 10%+ in guideline amount). Alimony modification depends on whether the decree provides — non-modifiable alimony is enforceable. Equitable distribution is final.

Family Law attorneys by city in Pennsylvania

Same Pennsylvania rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in Pennsylvania

All Pennsylvania practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysPennsylvania's dog-bite law splits the baby: medical bills are strict liability, but everything beyond them requires proving the owner knew the dog was trouble.

Business Dispute attorneysPA courts will enforce a reasonable non-compete — but only if you got something real for signing it, and continued employment alone doesn't count here.

Car Accident attorneysIf you picked limited tort to shave your premium, you may have signed away pain-and-suffering damages — unless your injury clears the "serious injury" bar.

Consumer Protection attorneysPennsylvania's consumer-protection law is one of the state's sharpest tools — triple damages plus attorney fees for deceptive business conduct.

Criminal Defense attorneysPennsylvania sentencing runs on a guideline matrix where your prior record score is fixed early — what happens before the plea often matters more than the plea itself.

Defective Product attorneysSince a 2014 state Supreme Court ruling, PA product cases can be argued two ways — consumer expectations or risk-utility — and choosing the right theory shapes everything that follows.

Employment attorneysThe Pennsylvania Human Relations Act reaches employers with just four workers — small shops federal law never touches.

Immigration attorneysPennsylvania removal cases are heard in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and ICE-cooperation policy flips county by county — where you live changes the playbook.

Lemon Law attorneysBuy a defective new car in PA and the Lemon Law gives you 12 months or 12,000 miles to act — with the manufacturer footing your attorney's bill if you win.

Medical Malpractice attorneysPennsylvania gives you 60 days to produce a certificate of merit in a med-mal case — and since the venue rule changed in 2023, Philadelphia is back on the table for many plaintiffs.

Personal Injury attorneysTwo years to file, a hard cutoff at 51% fault, and a county-by-county jury divide that can swing the same case by six figures.

Slip and Fall attorneysPennsylvania's "hills and ridges" doctrine means fresh snow and ice usually isn't actionable — your lawyer has to show it sat long enough to ridge up.

Social Security Disability attorneysPennsylvania disability appeals land in the Third Circuit, whose caselaw gives claimants a fairer shake than most — hearing offices sit in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysPA comp is one of the rare systems where a legal fee cap — 20% — keeps lawyer costs predictable, with wage-loss benefits at two-thirds of your average weekly wage.

Pennsylvania Family Law Attorneys

How we match your Pennsylvania family law case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with a family law claim in Pennsylvania

You decide to act.

Tell us what happened.

Filing and disclosures.

Negotiation or mediation.

Hearing or trial.

Final order.

When to call a family law attorney in Pennsylvania

Family Law cases we take in Pennsylvania

Mutual consent no-fault divorce

Unilateral no-fault divorce

Contested fault divorce

Child custody (legal and physical)

Child support and modification

Alimony pendente lite, spousal support, and alimony

Premarital and postnuptial agreements

Paternity actions

Adoption

Grandparent and third-party custody/visitation

Protection From Abuse (PFA) orders

Military divorce

How much do Pennsylvania family law attorneys cost?

What your Pennsylvania family law compensation can include

Property Division

Alimony / Spousal Support / APL

Child Support

Custody and Parenting Time

Attorney’s Fees

Protective Orders

Pennsylvania family law questions, answered

Family Law attorneys by city in Pennsylvania

Other case types in Pennsylvania

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